M&S Credit Card Purchase Plus Review (2025)

Key features

• 0% interest for up to 20 months on new purchases
• 0% interest for up to 12 months on balance transfers (made in first 90 days, fee applies)
• Earn M&S reward points every time you shop

Charges

While there is no monthly or annual fee for the M&S Purchase Plus credit card, there are some charges to bear in mind, depending on how you use the card.

For example, if you want to transfer a balance to take advantage of the 0% offer it will cost 3.49% (minimum £5) of any balance you switch over from a different card. Any balances remaining on the card after the 0% interest offer period ends will attract an annual interest rate (APR) of 24.9% (variable).

Equally, new purchases made on the card will also be charged at 24.9% APR (variable) after the 0% interest offer period ends. However, with up to 55 days’ interest-free on purchases – if you pay your balance in full every month by the due date – you won’t pay any interest.

It is important to be aware that not all applicants will be offered the full 20 months at 0% on purchases, or the full 12 months at 0% on balance transfers. You may be offered a shorter period of time at 0%.

If you are late with your credit card repayment, you will face a late payment fee of £12. The same fee will apply if you go over your credit limit. You’ll almost certainly also lose the 0% promotional offers.

Use the card to make a cash withdrawal and you’ll be charged a 2.99% fee (minimum £3 charge), plus interest, at 29.9% APR (variable) will also be charged from day one.

There are also charges for overseas use. There is a foreign transaction fee of 2.99% for spending abroad on the card. In addition, cash machine withdrawals overseas will also have the usual 2.99% (min £3) cash withdrawal charge.

Rewards

Cardholders earn M&S points every time they shop with this card anywhere in the world.

You’ll get one point for every £1 spent either online or in stores with M&S and one point for every £5 you spend elsewhere, with 100 points being equivalent to £1. For context, 100 rewards points is equivalent to £1 in M&S vouchers.

Rewards points can’t be earned on balance transfers, cash advances and withdrawals, M&S travel money or M&S reward vouchers.

Points are then converted into reward vouchers four times a year and sent to you in the post along with your loyalty statement. Alternatively you can have your rewards added to your M&S Sparks account ready to redeem on purchases or they can be added to your account in the M&S app.

To earn points at a faster rate, there’s also the option to subscribe to M&S Club Rewards at a cost of £10 a month. It means that you’ll receive two extra rewards points per £1 spent when using your card at M&S, either in-store or online.

Other membership benefits include welcome M&S vouchers, free drinks in M&S cafes, next day delivery on clothing and beauty products (exclusions apply), and extra rewards points for spending abroad (in the local currency).

Protection

As with any credit card, M&S Bank’s Purchase Plus Offer card provides protection on all purchases you make costing more than £100 and up to £30,000 under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

This applies even if you only use the card to pay for a deposit on an item or service costing between those values. Read more about this protection withour guide.

Will I be eligible?

It’s easy to find out if you’ll be in with a good chance of being accepted for the M&S Bank’s Purchase Plus Offer card by using an eligibility checker, which doesn’t show up on your credit file.

But bear in mind, only those with top scores are likely to be accepted for a card with upfront 0% interest perks, as well as rewards on spending.

What more should I know?

If you have held a credit card with M&S Bank within the previous 12 months, you won’t be considered for this card. M&S Bank is a joint venture between HSBC banking group and Marks and Spencer plc. This means you won’t usually be able to transfer balances from HSBC credit cards to a new M&S Bank credit card, for example.

Ideally, you should look to pay off your card balance in full each month by the due date. Fail to do this, and you could face interest charges (depending on your card deal), which is likely to wipe out any gains from the rewards.

Equally, if you fail to make at least your minimum payments on time, you are likely to lose the promotional 0% rates on balance transfers and purchases.

If you withdraw cash from an ATM using your card, interest will be charged straight away at 29.9% APR (variable) from the day you make the withdrawal. And the standard cash machine withdrawal fee of 2.99% will also be levied.

Is it the right card for me?

If you are planning to use your card for big purchases in the next couple of months, but also have balances sitting on other credit cards, M&S Bank’s Purchase Plus card could be a worthwhile option – especially if you’re a fan of M&S.

You can benefit from interest-free spending for a relatively lengthy period, get rewards, and also enjoy some interest-free breathing space.

What are my alternatives?

This 0% purchase card from M&S is among the top cards for purchases, but it is beaten by some competitors in the market, so always compare across the market before you make your decision.

Likewise, if your motivation is the balance transfer aspect of the deal, it’s worth considering the number of more competitive 0% balance transfer cards available on the market, both in terms of fee and 0% duration.

And if you are interested in the rewards aspect of the card, there are other rewards and cashback credit cards to consider, where the points and benefits are not limited to just one store.